Use of Vaginal Reconstructive Surgery in Cervical Cancer Patients to Prevent Vaginal Stump Contracture

Abstract

Purpose

The life quality of cervical cancer patients is severely compromised due to the vaginal stump contracture after surgery combined with radiotherapy. Therefore, our study focuses on ameliorating or preventing postoperative vaginal contracture. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the method of ileal graft with vascular pedicle to extend the length of vagina and (2) to investigate the effect of the operation to prevent vaginal stump contracture after cervical cancer surgery combined with radiotherapy.

Methods

Twenty-five patients with vaginal stump contracture after cervical cancer radical resection with sequential radiotherapy were recruited for the study between 2011 and 2014. The therapy includes releasing the adhesion between vaginal stump and rectum as well as bladder, resecting the vaginal stump but reserving the exterior orifice of vagina, and extending the vaginal length using vascularized ileal graft.

Results

No postoperative complications such as infection and bleeding were observed in all 25 patients. The patients were satisfied with the length and width of vagina after extension; the discharge of reconstructed vagina was acceptable. All patients had sexual intercourse on the follow-up examination, and five patients complained of vaginal bleeding during or after sexual intercourse, although no abnormality was found on colposcopy.

Conclusions

The patients demonstrated a high level of safety, efficacy, and satisfaction with the ileal–vaginal extension for treating vaginal stump contracture after cervical cancer surgery combined with radiotherapy, suggesting that this method is valid for broad clinical application to improve the life quality of cervical cancer patients after surgery.

Keywords:

• Cervical cancer
• radiotherapy
• vaginal extension with ileal graft
• vaginal stump contracture

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Compliance with ethical standards

Research involving Human Participants: The method and content of the study fulfilled the Helsinki Ethics Statement issued in 1964 and revised afterward. The study was approved by the ethics committee of Beijing Union Medical College Hospital. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants enrolled in the study.